Funded by : The Office of Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS) of the Texas Department of Assistive

& Rehabilitative Services (DARS)

Olivia BillsHearing Loss Resource

SpecialistsCSD of Texas

 Hearing Loss Resource

Specialists

Assists:

• Federal, State, and Local Governments• Organizations• Private Businesses• Educational Institutions

Hearing Loss Resource Specialist

• Speaking Engagements

• On the Job & Home Technical Assistance

• Information and Referral Services

Office for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services – Specialist Projects

Regions of our contracted specialists

Austin and

surrounding

counties: Region 7

Topics

• DHHS Programs and Services

– STAP– Tuition Waiver– CART– Telephone Equipment and Assistive

Devices– Hearing Loss and Communication

STAP The Specialized Telecommunications Assistance

Program

(STAP) offers assistance to Texans with a disability that interferes with their ability to use a standard telephone. Eligible individuals receive a voucher that can be used to purchase a specialized assistive telecommunication device.

Qualifying & Applying

• Must have proof of Texas residency

• Must have a disability that interferes with the ability to use a standard telephone.

To get an application you can call DARS-DHHS at

800.628.5115 (toll free) or visit the website: www.dars.state.tx.us/dhhs and click on “Telephone Access (STAP)”

STAP Equipment

Tuition WaiverCertificate of Deafness & Hearing Loss

Requirements:

• State supported post-Secondary school

• Proof of 55 db loss or greater, in better unaided ear

Application at DARS website: http://www.dars.state.tx.us/dhhs/forms/cod.shtml

Division for Rehabilitation Services

Application for Certification of Deafness for Tuition Waiver

Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services

With few exceptions, you are entitled, on request, to be informed about the information that DARS DRS collects about you. You also are entitled to receive and review the information, and to have DARS DRS correct information about you that is incorrect. (Sections 552.021, 552.023, and 559.004 of the Gov’t. Code).

Mail completed application to P.O. Box 12904, Austin, Texas 78711. Faxes are not accepted. Allow 14 business days for the application to be processed.

I. Applicant Information

Applicant Name:

Social Security Number:

Sex: Male Female

Address:

City:

State:

ZIP:

Date of Birth:

Phone: ( )

Enter an X to indicate that you have read and understand each of the following three statements. Failure to do so will result in an incomplete application and will be returned.

I understand DARS is not responsible for any fees or associated costs such as interpreters, CART, note taker services, or books as a result of this certification of deafness (unless otherwise noted in an Individualized Plan for Employment);

I am a resident of the State of Texas;

To the best of my knowledge, all information provided with this application is true.

Applicant Signature:

X

Applicant Printed Name:

Date:

II. Hearing Loss Information

Attach a copy of an audiogram (with legible examiner contact information) that documents one of the following:

An aided hearing loss of 30 decibels or greater in the better ear (using the average of the aided pure tones at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz)

An unaided hearing loss of 55 decibels or greater in the better ear (using the average of the unaided pure tones at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz)

III. Audiologist Completes if Section II Criteria Not Met

If criteria in Section II is not met, enter an X to verify that one of the following is true:

Applicant’s aided average is less than 30 decibels in the better ear (using the average of the aided pure tones at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz) but the speech discrimination is less than 50%, or

Applicant’s unaided average is less than 55 decibels in the better ear (using the average of the unaided pure tones at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz) but the speech discrimination is less than 50%.

CART Communication Access Realtime Translation

CART is performed by a specially trained certified court reporter using a realtime translation system.

• CART provides a full screen of text on a notebook computer for viewing by one or two people.

• CART can also be provided from a remote access point through the internet when the CART provider is not located in the same area as the consumer or presenter.

Technology

• FM Systems (for the phone/meetings/one on one/shopping/in the car)

• Amplified Phones/In-line Amplifiers (work or home)

• Alerting Devices (ring signaler/doorbell flasher/baby-alert/alarm)

Hearing Loss

• Hearing loss can affect anybody

• About 1 in 10 have some degree of hearing loss.

• The majority of hard of hearing hide it.

• By statistics, it can take up to 7 years before they will come to terms that they need hearing aids.

Causes of Hearing Loss

Loss due to:

•Excessive exposure to noise

•The natural aging process

•Medication that is toxic to the auditory system •Head injuries

This is your Cochlear – the sound comes in the opening seen on the right and travels up the Cochlear into the

spiral where the hair cells pick up the sound.

Normal Healthy Hair Cells

•Located in the cochlea, in the inner ear

•Do not regenerate

•Once damaged, never return to normal

Damaged Hair Cells

•Once damaged, never return to normal function

•Medication and/or surgery will not “fix” thisSensorineural HL (nerve loss)

Signs of Hearing Loss

• Difficulty following & Participating in conversation, especially when there is background noise.

• Poor attention; is easily distracted

• Indifference, social withdrawal, signs of insecurity

• Ability to hear a man’s voice easier than the voice of a woman or child. (or vice versa depending on type of loss)

A person's hearing is tested by an audiologist and then plotted onto a chart which has the loudness of the sound, measured in decibels (dB), shown vertically on the left side and the frequency or pitch of

the sound across the top, measured in Hertz (Hz).

Hearing Loss Communication

• Get their attention politely• No obstacles in front of your face• No objects in your mouth - gum,

cigarettes, food• Speak clearly with moderate pace• Use facial expressions and

gestures• Give clues when changing the

subject

Hearing Loss Communication (cont’d)

• Rephrase when not understood• Don’t shout• Avoid noisy background situations• Be patient, positive, and relaxed• Face a hard of hearing person

– do not turn your back – do not walk away while still speaking.

• When in doubt, ask the hard of hearing person for suggestions to improve communication

Thank you! Thank you for your time and attention today!

Olivia Bills Hearing Loss Resource Specialist

CSD of Texas and DARS 1524 S IH 35, Suite 225 Austin, Texas 78704-2603 Email: obills@c-s-d.org Phone: 512.428.1813 Fax: 512.837.1444 D-Link VP: obills.csd.tv

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